


Oral Traditions

by itsmoonpeaches



Series: Lost My Heart in Republic City [5]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Air Nomad Genocide (Avatar), Air Nomads (Avatar), F/M, Family, Kataang Week, Kataang Week 2020, POV Katara (Avatar)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:33:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25630618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsmoonpeaches/pseuds/itsmoonpeaches
Summary: Prompt: Heritage/Responsibilities-“Are we gonna meet your family too, dad?” queried Bumi innocently. His pale blue eyes were wide.“Yeah, daddy!” echoed Kya with a great yawn.“You did meet my family,” Aang stated carefully. His back remained toward them as he gripped the reins atop Appa’s head. “You and your mother are my family. Your Gramp Gramp, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Suki, Mai…they’re my family.”Bumi tilted his head. “No, they’re not,” he maintained.-Or, Aang and Katara bring their children to the second annual Glacier Spirits Festival in over one-hundred years.
Relationships: Aang & Bumi II, Aang & Gyatso, Aang & Hakoda (Avatar), Aang & Katara (Avatar), Aang & Kya II (Avatar), Aang & Sokka (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar), Bumi II & Katara, Hakoda & Katara (Avatar), Hakoda & Sokka (Avatar), Katara & Kya II (Avatar), Katara & Sokka (Avatar)
Series: Lost My Heart in Republic City [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1851508
Comments: 32
Kudos: 220





	Oral Traditions

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Day 5: Heritage/Responsibilities.
> 
> Every time I post these, I realize just how much I write about food. I have no idea if it's because I'm always hungry when I write or I just like to eat?

Katara could not help but wonder exactly how much she was missing in her childhood that she never got to celebrate the Glacier Spirits Festival until her adulthood. It was something that she had heard stories about growing up, and they were said with reverence during wartime when there was nothing but past peace to long for.

Leaving Republic City for the Southern Water Tribe was the easy part, funny enough. Even though she was five months pregnant, her qualms were less with the traveling and more with her children complaining about it. They were excited to go on an adventure, and for Kya at least, it was her first time seeing her mother’s birthplace. She had jumped everywhere, disturbing the acolytes from their serene meditations, and overall disrupting the lemurs that lived on Air Temple Island whenever she ventured outside.

Bumi was not much better but being a bit older helped. He was five and only a year and a half older than his sister, but he claimed that he remembered visiting the Southern Water Tribe when he was three. Katara seriously doubted that.

He was acting extremely sweet though, especially since he seemed to understand her pregnancy better than his younger sister. He assisted her with carrying things and took her hand to lead her up the stairs quite often. (The help was minimal, but it was appreciated.) Aang would laugh every time Bumi tried to lift her waterbending pouch for no reason, but she and Aang agreed to let him do it whenever he asked.

Aang himself knew what to do. It was not their first child, after all. He massaged her feet, offered to do her half of the chores even after a long day with the council, and indulged in her cravings for sea prunes. (He did not particularly like that part.) She wanted less meat, and more vegetarian dishes, it seemed. She wondered if that had to do with the baby, or the fact that they lived part of their lives surrounded by Air Acolytes. Either way, Aang never faulted her for eating what she wanted.

They were always traveling because of Aang’s duties and her desire to continue the Southern Water Style tradition in her own tribe. However, the past few years had kept them in one place for the most part. With such young children, it was difficult to move around. They had only decided to go south because of the importance of this festival. They had missed the revival of the festival the previous year because of an uprising in a nearby village, but this time it was at the right moment. Their children were both old enough to come with them together, and her pregnancy was not far enough along to warrant her staying behind.

“Do you want anything from the stands?” asked her husband, a soft smile on his face. He was dressed in a long orange cloak that reached his ankles and covered his usual airbender attire, suitable for the weather. They had found a tailor with woolen fabrics from koala sheep who was willing to make him one. She thought he looked handsome wearing it.

Katara folded her mitten-clad hands into the sleeves of her parka. “Do they happen to have deep fried seaweed? The kind with sesame oil?”

Bumi tugged at her skirt with Kya, asking her for some too.

Aang laughed. “I think I saw some a few stalls over,” he said. “I’ll get some for all of us. Are you okay with this table, or do you want to sit closer to the torches?”

“This is fine, Aang. Thank you!” she beamed. She watched him nod and retreat into the throng. People greeted him and bowed along the way. Light flurries landed on his clothes, speckling him with puffs of white. With how tall he became since she met him, he stood out, and it was not just because of the way he dressed. It was the graceful way he walked too, like he was gliding all the time. It helped that she found him the most attractive person in the crowd.

Katara settled on the wooden bench and ordered Bumi and Kya to calm themselves and sit patiently next to her. Her back ached after a few hours of milling about, and she knew that Aang could see right through her. The two of them had wanted the festival to be an enjoyable experience for their children, a peek into the culture of the Water Tribes filled with campfire stories and games. However, she was showing now and even on the third pregnancy the pains did not dissipate. He had led their family to a resting area as soon as he saw her grimace.

They had left Appa at the stables near her father’s house, but Momo was with them, chittering on the opposite end of the table.

“I’m so excited to see Gramp Gramp and Uncle Sokka!” yelled Bumi, wiggling his behind. “When are we gonna see them, mom?”

“Yeah!” agreed Kya. She was in the stage where she copied everything her older brother did, including some of his strange habits like attempting to lick his elbow on occasion.

“At the ending ceremony,” supplied Katara, placing her hands on her belly. “Sokka is busy helping your grandfather set everything up. The festival is still new to the tribe after over a hundred years, and they’re learning new things as they go.”

They had arrived that morning just before the festivities began, and now in the early evening, everything was in full swing. The festival itself lasted two days, but they had not made it till the second.

There were torches set up around the stalls, yellow lanterns dangling from each rooftop and igloo, and rambunctious children from both the Northern and Southern Tribes playing tag with one another. She could not believe how much her home had changed in almost twenty years since she and Sokka had discovered the Avatar trapped in an iceberg. Instead of broken up villages set across the tundra, everyone had reunited into a city. There were permanent structures, and icy fortresses with intricate designs. It was nothing like the barren landscape with animal skin tents that she had grown up in.

“Here we are!” exclaimed Aang. He slid three baskets of fried seaweed onto the table. One of them was for him and another for Katara. The last one Bumi and Kya shared. “They’re completely drenched in sesame oil, just like we all like them.”

“Awesome!” Bumi cheered.

The four of them dug in. Katara was content with biting into every piece. It was as delicious as she remembered, and the fact that there was a healthy serving of sesame oil drizzled onto them, made it that much better.

After a few moments of them clearing their food, drums began to sound. Though she and Aang had emptied their baskets, Bumi and Kya had yet to finish theirs. As children do, they ate slowly.

Katara glanced up to Aang. “We have to get going if we’re going to catch the closing,” she said.

Aang nodded. “You want to hold onto the kids’ food, and I’ll carry Kya?”

She watched as he scooped up their daughter who had begun nodding off. Bumi skipped after them, occasionally asking Katara to hand him a piece of seaweed. The children looked adorable in their parkas.

They made their way to the front of the town hall. It was easy when all the people recognized them. She heard greetings in her direction and a few of her former and current students calling after her. When they made it to the front of the steps, the pavilion was surrounded by almost the entire tribe. The drummers had stopped, and the air was silent.

Three waterbenders stood at the top of the steps in front of a trio of large decorative pots of water. Normally, Katara would be offered a place up with them as the daughter of the chief and a respected master, but she had opted out of the offer when it was clear that they would not arrive until the second day. Plus, she was in no mood to move around in such a taxing fashion.

The waterbenders performed a dance around each other, pushing and pulling the liquid up and around themselves to the beat of smaller drums. They spun, kicked, flowed with each stream. The crowed clapped, and they ended on creating an ice sculpture of the spirits of the moon and ocean in their koi fish forms.

The night finally settled in. Behind the town hall, the Southern Lights brightened the skies with ribbons of green and purple. Aang had helped to clear the spirit vines in the South Pole two years previously, and with the reinstatement of the Glacier Spirits Festival, he claimed the spirits felt appreciated after so long. Katara hoped that it would last.

The benders cleared out and onto the platform walked her father, Chief Hakoda. Even in his early sixties, he was just as youthful and inspiring as she remembered him to be.

“Today, we continue to honor the spirits that reside near the Southern Tribe,” he boomed with a commanding tone. “They give us life and power and provide us with the means to survive. We honor the moon and the ocean, and Princess Yue’s sacrifice. We honor the spirits of the flora and fauna, and the spirits of the hunt.”

Everyone applauded and shouted with approval.

“We also honor the Avatar Spirit who remains our world’s keeper of balance,” Hakoda added, “and the spirits of our ancestors who still live among us.” He raised his arms wide. “Please, extend your blessings to them, and your offerings with pride.”

Katara bowed her head and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she saw some of the tribe’s elders walk to the front where there were lanterns and incense. Many of them made their wishes there. It was a solemn, sacred gesture that even Bumi did not interrupt.

Then after minutes, it was over. The burning incense remained, but the people began to disperse back into the stands. Music restarted and there were couples dancing. Katara led Aang and the children up the steps to meet her father. Sokka had soon appeared.

“That was wonderful, dad!” she grinned, hugging her father in a tight embrace. “It was everything Gran Gran said it was like!”

Aang bowed his head beside her. “Fantastic public speaking skills as always, Chief Hakoda,” he praised.

Her father laughed. “Please, Aang. How many times do I have to say it? Just Hakoda is fine. Or even ‘dad’ would be nice. You and my daughter have been married for six years already!”

“Yeah, _brother-in-law,_ what’s up with you being so formal?” teased Sokka.

Aang stuttered, face flushing. Katara could not help the chuckles that came afterward. She knew he was a natural at being polite, but it was fun to poke fun at him.

“Uncle Sokka! Gramp Gramp!” screamed both the children. Kya squirmed out of Aang’s arms just as Bumi tackled Sokka’s legs.

“It’s nice to see you too!” Hakoda grinned, bending over to embrace his grandchildren. “It’s been way too long!”

When things started to fizzle out, the family made it inside her father’s home. Sokka was there by himself, as Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors had a project in Republic City teaching the nonbending portion of the police force how to chi-block. Toph wanted to have the new force completed within the month, especially with the twentieth anniversary of the end of the war approaching. None of them could disagree with them for that. Luckily, Sokka could put off his council duties for a week.

When they sat around the fire in the middle of the main room, they began to trade stories. Her dad explained the meanings of the ceremonial pieces that hung on the wall. Sokka made fun of him for various adventures that he had with Bato as a teenager. Katara regaled the children with tales of her learning of the spirits from Gran Gran. All the while, both Bumi and Kya were engrossed. Aang was enthusiastic about learning more about her heritage.

“…and then dad said the bomb was called the ‘Stink and Stink’!” said Sokka with the stupidest smirk on his face as if what he said was beyond hilarious. Katara groaned at his antics. At least her father laughed.

“Wow!” said Kya.

“That’s so cool!” yelled Bumi, in his usual too-loud voice.

Aang was right next to her, rubbing her back. His hand was comforting, and she loved the way he was thoughtful with the small things.

Soon, it was time to retire. The kids were sleepy, and their eyes drooped. Katara was feeling it as well. Traveling that long on Appa and walking around for hours really took a toll on them. She and Aang shared a guest room and their children opted to stay with their uncle, who was more than happy to spend time with them.

Aang kneaded her feet with deft fingers before bed. She fell asleep to the sound of his steady breathing.

-

Days after the end of the Glacier Spirits Festival, it was time for their little family to head back to Republic City. Though Kya and Bumi complained the whole time, begging to stay longer, both she and Aang knew that if they stayed away for too long the city would be desperate for answers. People did not seem to understand that they were human too.

Nevertheless, she enjoyed her time away and was overjoyed to spend it with her family. She liked that Aang did not have the same tense atmosphere about him when he came home sometimes. He needed the vacation as well.

They climbed onto the back of Appa who rumbled in anticipation. Sokka waved at them, saying that he would see them in a few days after he caught a boat. Though they offered to take him with them, he said that having him plus the children might be a lot for Appa. Katara could not agree more. The poor bison had to deal with an excessive amount of hyperactive movement from both the kids.

Momo curled up next to her, laying his head on her thigh. Bumi grabbed onto the edge of the saddle and wondered at the clouds that passed while Kya slept immediately.

They had been flying for an hour, Aang steering them in the morning sun, when the question was asked. 

“Are we gonna meet your family too, dad?” queried Bumi innocently. His pale blue eyes were wide.

“Yeah, daddy!” echoed Kya with a great yawn.

She saw Aang stiffen. Her breath caught in her throat. Though Aang taught them all about Air Nomad culture, and they lived much of their time surrounded by people who wanted to emulate them, neither of them had touched upon the topic of the existence of the Air Nomads themselves. It proved to be too difficult a task. How did one teach about the fact that the Fire Nation had wiped them all out during the Hundred Year War? How did they tell children about genocide?

“You did meet my family,” Aang stated carefully. His back remained toward them as he gripped the reins atop Appa’s head. “You and your mother are my family. Your Gramp Gramp, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Suki, Mai…they’re my family.”

Bumi tilted his head. “No, they’re not,” he maintained.

Katara placed a hand on her son’s. “Bumi,” she started, but he cut her off.

“They’re like not your _family_ family!” he shouted. “Do we have a Gramp Gramp on your side too? What about your brother? Or your _sister?”_

For a moment there was silence. “Aang,” she offered softly, forehead creasing with concern. He glanced back at her and she met his gaze. “Maybe it’s time.”

She saw something in his eyes that broke, just for a second. She knew he understood. As much as she knew it would hurt him to say anything, they had known that someday it would come. She guessed that they both thought it would be much later. In a way, it was something that neither of them could prepare for.

Aang sighed, turning back to the skies. “Boom,” he said in an almost-whisper, choosing to use their son’s nickname, “My people…aren’t around anymore.”

“What does that mean?” Bumi frowned. Kya copied him and crossed her arms with a pout.

Aang swallowed, shoulders sagging. “It means they died. A long time ago.”

Katara could hear the resignation in his voice, the slight tremble that only she could pinpoint. He had accepted that they were gone years previously, he had told her. He had found a family. However, she knew that just because he accepted it did not mean that it made talking about it to his own children any easier. She knew herself that the pain of losing someone never disappeared with time, it only ached less, scabbed over. The wound never truly healed.

“Died?” whispered Bumi, suddenly quiet. He had tears in his eyes. “That’s sad.”

Their children did not comprehend the concept of death the same way they did, but she was sure they were aware of it. They had never lost anyone in their short lifetimes, and the two people they were named after had been gone before either were born. But it was one of those things that Katara knew that children inherently understood on some level. It did not have to be explained.

She inched toward him, disturbing Momo who squeaked in protest. She gathered Bumi to her bosom. “It’s okay, Boom,” she said, “your dad has us.”

Bumi sniffled, rubbing his nose. Kya hugged him on his other side.

Katara smiled, then turned her attention toward Aang. He looked more relaxed, but Katara knew better. She of all people knew what he was thinking. He could not introduce their children to Monk Gyatso, the monks, his old friends. He could not show them his childhood home without it being desolate in comparison to what it had been, clear of most life and people.

She let go of Bumi and patted Kya’s head. Then, struggling a little, she tried to make her way to the front of the saddle. Aang must have heard her because he gaped and looked over his shoulder. “Katara what—”

“I’m coming to you,” she insisted, adamant.

He exhaled, pressing his lips together as he grasped her forearm to balance her until she sat next to him. He made sure she was secure before holding onto the reins again. She kissed his shoulder and laid her head there, breathing in and out. He bent into her.

They sat comfortably for a while. Behind them, the children had slipped into contemplative silence.

“You know,” she said with a soft voice, “we’re going to pass over the Southern Air Temple.” She peered at the expression on his face and saw how his eyes shifted to look at her then back to the skies. “Maybe…we should stop over.”

He let out a breath. There were lines in between his eyebrows. “I don’t know,” he said. Normally, he was eager to visit the temples, especially since the acolytes began refurbishing them with the help of the other nations. But this time was different.

“Aang,” she replied gently, “our children aren’t just Water Tribe. They are half Air Nomad too. Their heritage is not just my heritage. It’s yours too. You’re always saying that you feel like you have a responsibility to share the culture that’s left. Don’t you think it’s even more important to share it with our kids?”

He did not respond, but she could tell he was thinking about it.

“You know you’re not alone,” she added.

“I know,” he answered.

She reached up to his face and used a hand to turn him toward her. “Then don’t you think they should understand?” she asked.

All it took was her smiling at him, and she saw that he made up his mind. He concurred with a quirk of his mouth, letting out a short chuckle. “You always know how to convince me,” he said just as he began to tug Appa westward.

It took another two hours, but they approached the Southern Air Temple through the mists of the Patola Mountain Range. Bumi and Kya squealed in delight, and Katara glimpsed the glint in Aang’s eyes. She knew that what she had suggested was right.

They landed a few minutes later, and he assisted all of them when they dismounted Appa. There were only a handful of acolytes at this temple, as most of them had opted to live in the Western and Northern Temples as they were closer to the Earth Kingdom. Either way, it was nice to see a few people. She remembered how it had been when she first visited and did not wish either of her children to witness that kind of tragedy.

“This is where I was raised,” Aang told Bumi as he balanced the boy on his arm. He stopped in front of the refurbished statue of his beloved guardian, Monk Gyatso. “And this…this is your Gramp Gramp.”

Katara stood by him, holding Kya’s hand. She listened to him regale both their children about his experiences growing up. The baby in her stomach kicked as if they were listening too. She caressed her belly with her free hand and smiled.

She and Aang might not have been ready to inform their children about the horrors of war. It might not have been the time to let them know that her mother had been killed in cold blood and his people had been murdered in a rage of fire. But at least, they could give them this. For now, that would be enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a line!


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